1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic percussion instrument including an impact sensor which converts vibration of a head being struck with a beater into an electric signal so as to generate an electronic musical sound.
The present application claims priority on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-49035 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-47225, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally-known electronic percussion instruments are designed to generate an electronic musical sound based on an electric signal output from an impact sensor which detects vibration of a head being struck with a beater. Patent Literature Document 1 (PLT1) discloses an electronic percussion instrument serving as an electronic bass drum with a circular head, made of an elastic material, whose periphery is engaged with a frame. An impact sensor is attached to the back of a strike area corresponding to the center of a head via a center cushion with an outer periphery encompassed by a ring-shaped damper cushion. A vibrating wave occurs when the strike area of a head is being struck with a beater. A vibrating wave is transmitted toward the periphery of a head, bounced back, and then attenuated by the damper cushion.
The electronic percussion instrument of PLT1 generates an impulsive sound (i.e. a sound directly caused by an impact of a head being struck with a beater) independently of an electronic musical sound which is generated based on an electric signal output from an impact sensor which detects vibration occurring on a head being struck with a beater. Due to an impact of a head, a large vibration occurs in the entirety of the internal area of a head (i.e. an area which exists inwardly of the periphery of a head) compared to the periphery of a head which is fixed to the frame, thus causing a large impulsive sound. A large impulsive sound accompanied with an electronic musical sound is offensive to human's ears, and therefore an impulsive sound may degrade the sound quality of an electronic percussion instrument in terms of articulation.
It is necessary to reduce an impulsive sound accompanied with an electronic musical sound because both the pitch and the tone color of an impulsive sound significantly affect the sound quality of an electronic percussion instrument. For example, it is not preferable for an electronic percussion instrument to generate a high-pitch impulsive sound with a low volume which may degrade sound quality.